Comments on: Criminal justice system>justice http://www.longstraighthighway.com/2009/06/19/the-irrelevancy-of-truth/ amusements for gentlemen and scholars Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:09:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: houlios http://www.longstraighthighway.com/2009/06/19/the-irrelevancy-of-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-2296 houlios Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:14:32 +0000 http://www.longstraighthighway.com/?p=1297#comment-2296 I've read that about Roberts also. And also, I had the same reaction to him as you did during the confirmation hearings, and that sorta made me forget about how ecstatic talkradio was over the nomination. <br><br>Anyway, regarding your last point about the morass, I guess it would depend on how much DNA evidence states are holding and refusing to test. And I know for a fact that some states do actually retroactively test DNA after trials and people have been exonerated. Its just that in this case, Alaska doesn't want to, and apparently people don't have a right to pay for the test themselves. I've read that about Roberts also. And also, I had the same reaction to him as you did during the confirmation hearings, and that sorta made me forget about how ecstatic talkradio was over the nomination.

Anyway, regarding your last point about the morass, I guess it would depend on how much DNA evidence states are holding and refusing to test. And I know for a fact that some states do actually retroactively test DNA after trials and people have been exonerated. Its just that in this case, Alaska doesn't want to, and apparently people don't have a right to pay for the test themselves.

]]> By: houlios http://www.longstraighthighway.com/2009/06/19/the-irrelevancy-of-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-1885 houlios Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:14:32 +0000 http://www.longstraighthighway.com/?p=1297#comment-1885 I've read that about Roberts also. And also, I had the same reaction to him as you did during the confirmation hearings, and that sorta made me forget about how ecstatic talkradio was over the nomination. <br><br>Anyway, regarding your last point about the morass, I guess it would depend on how much DNA evidence states are holding and refusing to test. And I know for a fact that some states do actually retroactively test DNA after trials and people have been exonerated. Its just that in this case, Alaska doesn't want to, and apparently people don't have a right to pay for the test themselves. I've read that about Roberts also. And also, I had the same reaction to him as you did during the confirmation hearings, and that sorta made me forget about how ecstatic talkradio was over the nomination.

Anyway, regarding your last point about the morass, I guess it would depend on how much DNA evidence states are holding and refusing to test. And I know for a fact that some states do actually retroactively test DNA after trials and people have been exonerated. Its just that in this case, Alaska doesn't want to, and apparently people don't have a right to pay for the test themselves.

]]> By: shanusmagnus http://www.longstraighthighway.com/2009/06/19/the-irrelevancy-of-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-1880 shanusmagnus Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:36:30 +0000 http://www.longstraighthighway.com/?p=1297#comment-1880 This has been bothering me since yesterday. For reasons I don't really understand, my friend Pam follows the Supreme Court closely, and at Wiscon she said that every John Roberts judgment favored big business over the little guy, whoever "big business" and "the little guy" happened to be. Which was disappointing to hear, because I actually listened to a bunch of the JR confirmation hearings (it was when I first got to LA) and thought that, yeah, maybe he's conservative, but he seems really smart and really serious about justice and integrity and whatnot. And it's tough to think that justice and integrity only exist on the side of big business.<br><br>So when I read this post I got all pissed off again, worse than before. I can't even imagine the bitter frenzy I'd be in if I went to jail for something I didn't do - if I ever got out of jail I'd be a serial killer for sure. There aren't even words to describe that rage. But then I started wondering what would happen if the judgment had gone the other way. Would every single person in prison be clamoring about some DNA evidence that would exonerate him? Would it instantly turn the entire legal system into an impossible morass?<br><br>I don't know dick about the law, but it seems eminently possible. Which makes me wonder what I would do, were I in JR's shoes, trying to feel out some line between "justice" and "the system." If this is indeed a reasonable characterization, then I don't envy any of those SCOTUS people one bit. This has been bothering me since yesterday. For reasons I don't really understand, my friend Pam follows the Supreme Court closely, and at Wiscon she said that every John Roberts judgment favored big business over the little guy, whoever “big business” and “the little guy” happened to be. Which was disappointing to hear, because I actually listened to a bunch of the JR confirmation hearings (it was when I first got to LA) and thought that, yeah, maybe he's conservative, but he seems really smart and really serious about justice and integrity and whatnot. And it's tough to think that justice and integrity only exist on the side of big business.

So when I read this post I got all pissed off again, worse than before. I can't even imagine the bitter frenzy I'd be in if I went to jail for something I didn't do – if I ever got out of jail I'd be a serial killer for sure. There aren't even words to describe that rage. But then I started wondering what would happen if the judgment had gone the other way. Would every single person in prison be clamoring about some DNA evidence that would exonerate him? Would it instantly turn the entire legal system into an impossible morass?

I don't know dick about the law, but it seems eminently possible. Which makes me wonder what I would do, were I in JR's shoes, trying to feel out some line between “justice” and “the system.” If this is indeed a reasonable characterization, then I don't envy any of those SCOTUS people one bit.

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